Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been continuously monitoring the MPox situation with the principal secretary Dr. P.K. Mishra directing that surveillance be enhanced and measures be taken for prompt detection of cases. He further directed that the testing laboratories network should be geared up for early diagnosis. At present, 32 labs are equipped for testing.
In a release issued on Sunday the Union government said that in the last one week a series of measures have been put in place including meeting of experts convened by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on August 12, to assess the risk for India, Communicable Disease (CD) alert on Mpox issued earlier by the NCDC being updated to capture the newer developments and sensitisation of the health teams at International Airports has been undertaken.
Dr. Mishra said that the protocols for prevention and treatment of the disease may be disseminated on a large scale. He further emphasised an awareness campaign amongst the healthcare providers regarding the signs and symptoms of the disease and the need for timely notification to the surveillance system.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has again declared Mpox Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on August 14 in view of its prevalence and spread across many parts of Africa. As per an earlier statement from WHO, 99,176 cases and 208 deaths had been reported due to Mpox since 2022 across 116 countries. Subsequently, they have reported that Mpox cases have been steadily increasing in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Last year, the reported cases increased significantly, and already the number of cases reported so far this year has exceeded last year’s total, with more than 15,600 cases and 537 deaths. Since the 2022 declaration of Public Health Emergency of International Concern by WHO, 30 cases were reported in India. The last case of Mpox was detected in March 2024.
